Until recently, women were barred from U.S. military combat jobs. Today females are volunteering for the most physically and mentally grueling Marine roles. But is the Corps helping or hurting women recruits’ readiness by separating training from males? In a two-part series, William Brangham follows three female Marine recruits as they embark on tougher training than they have ever undergone. Continue reading →

Due to the proliferation of social media, getting people to read serious journalism is harder than ever, says New York University professor Jay Rosen. Anyone with a smartphone can produce content, and Facebook doesn’t have an editor in chief — so it’s up to consumers to be selective about their news sources. This is Rosen’s Brief But Spectacular take on journalism in today’s digital world. Continue reading →

In our news wrap Wednesday, in Charleston, S.C., a jury heard opening statements in the trial of Dylann Roof, the white supremacist charged with murdering nine black churchgoers in June 2015. The defense conceded his guilt and focused on preventing a death sentence. Also, Tennessee authorities have charged two juveniles in the fatal wildfires that blazed through the state’s Smoky Mountains. Continue reading →

Clare Smith has been reporting on baseball for over four decades, and she was the first African-American female reporter to cover the game for a newspaper. On Tuesday night, Smith was awarded the top honor in her field. Judy Woodruff speaks with Smith about the player who got her interested in the sport, her life-long love of storytelling and her one bad day covering baseball. Continue reading →

Since his election, President-elect Donald Trump hasn’t held a single, formal press conference, and has repeatedly traveled without the press pool assigned to cover him. Instead, expressing his open disdain for the media, he’s communicated with the public directly, often through Twitter. Hari Sreenivasan speaks with Micheline Maynard of Forbes. Continue reading →

Trump Tower is loaded with polished metal and stone and clad in reflective glass. Will it stand just for the questionable taste of the one percent, or could it stimulate more creative, sustainable approaches to urban development?

Leaders at the Department of Defense periodically conduct efficiency reviews, looking for ways to cut costs. One such report, ordered by Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work in 2014, was scrapped after it identified wasteful spending and suggested measures to save $125 billion over five years. For background and analysis, Judy Woodruff speaks with The Washington Post’s Craig Whitlock. Continue reading →